Fuel economy apparatus for internal combustion engines



May 30, 1961 2,986,132

A. MATZ FUEL ECONOMY APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 28, 1960 w J g L 32 ,2 40 38 40 ,6 mmvfon ATTORNEYS t itter FUEL 'ncoNo Y Am TUS FoRfm'm" ei 1B nQ- JAeaeesee This invention Irelates; to f internal combustiorr engines and more particularly to means for improving fuel economy of internal combustion engines. v I v The principah objectof-this invention is to-provide a device forfincreasing the gasoline economy of inte'rnal combustion engines.- :A no "er object of this invention-is to provide: a simple and" inexpensive attachmene-whichmay be readily mounted one vehicle engine without" substantial-alterations or modifications in the engine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an effective trouble free engine attachment of the above type having a minimum of movable parts.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from the following description and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical side view of an internal combustion engine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial elevational view partly in section and on an enlarged scale showing in detail the nozzle of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, an internal combustion engine is shown generally at 6 in Fig. 1. A down-draft carburetor is indicated at 8. The carburetor includes a flange 10 for mounting the carburetor on a flange 12 of the engine intake manifold 13. A breather pipe 14 is provided for venting the engine crankcase.

Gases within the engine crankcase are a source of unburned hydrocarbons in the form of oil and gasoline mist or vapor. These gases are normally discharged from the crankcase by the breather pipe. It has been found that by mixing the gases from the crankcase with the carburetor fuel-air mixture, an enriched mixture is provided which results in improved engine performance and consequent fuel economy.

In accordance with my invention an economy block or plate 16 is interposed between the carburetor and intake manifold flanges. Tube 18- provides conduit means from the crankcase breather pipe 14 to the block 16 for conducting a portion of the crankcase vapors to the intake manifold. The block 16 includes means for supplying and intermixing the crankcase vapors with the fuel-air mixture delivered by the carburetor to the intake manifold.

The block 16 is provided with suitable holes 20 (Fig. 2) to receive carburetor securing bolts 22. The block also includes a central opening or bore 24 registrable with an opening 26 of the intake manifold and the discharge opening of the carburetor 8. The tube 18 is connected to a valve member indicated generally at 28 for automatically controlling the supply of crankcase gases to the block, as will be described below. As shown, the valve member 28 is threaded into a passageway or conduit 30 which extends through the block from its outer I nozzle 32 mounted on}the terrnin'al end of thetube" 29. The tube 29 cornmunica'tesw'itli the interior of .thenozzle adjacent i pp rgd eiTh 11 o the tub 29' X be 'tape'red. as indicatedfatffl for deflection ofthe er 10 case vapors downwardlyjfnto the bo'dy of the nozz1ei3 2it:

1 110111632 ompr j s a cy ndr ppe n 11 36 and an outwardlyflar'ed 'coni'c'al portio r flang I which extends outwardly and downwardly m the lower end of the cy1indrical1portion. henange is provided 15 ith a plurality of circumferentially spaced ports r The nozzle is, disposed gener i'yatithe' tester-su ts ma i ol open nsfWigi s n t h h roc n enr c era kcase vapors intofthe'j'cehtral portion of thefuel-air ca uretorf'mixturef, A thorough intermixing of the 7 case vapors carburetor-mixture takes'placeiii the c'ylinlirical'porti ,or nie'nezn psea in th'e'cen-f tenofth'e r'nlainifoltlopening 261' e upper edgeof the nozzle 32'' is located shffi'ciently below the carburetor flange to enable the throttle valve of the carburetor to be fully opened. The central portion of the carburetor mixture, drawn by the engine vacuum, passes through the interior of the nozzle where it is thoroughly mixed with the crankcase vapors drawn from the tube 29. The outer portion of the carburetor fuel-air mixture passes downwardly into the manifold around the periphery of the nozzle 32. The flange 38 deflects portions of the carburetor mixture radially outward of the center of the manifold. Other portions of the fuel-air mixture pass through the orifices 40 and are mixed with the central portion of the mixture which passed through the nozzle. The flange 38 also causes the hydrocarbon enriched fuelair mixture to be deflected outwardly of the center of the manifold opening for uniform distribution to the various 40 cylinders of the engine.

The cylindrical portion of the nozzle provides, in effect, a mixing chamber located in the center of the carburetor stream. The flange and its orifices provide for further mixing of the crankcase gases and the carburetor charge and for the uniform distribution of the resultant mixture to the intake manifold. The cylindrical portion of the nozzle should be of sufficient length to insure thorough mixing of the crankcase vapors and the carburetor fuelair mixture. The area of flange 38 should be suflicient for uniform distribution of the gases to the engine without substantially reducing the volumetric capacity of the manifold.

Valve means is provided for automatically controlling the supply of crankcase vapors to the nozzle 32 in response to the vacuum drawn by the engine. As shown in Fig. 4, the valve means comprises a ball-type check valve. Ball 42 is releasably held closed against its seat 44 by a compression spring 46. At idling or low engine speeds the spring is of sufiiciefit strength to hold the ball against the seat 44. At increased engine speeds the ball is drawn off its seat compressing the spring 46 and the crankcase vapors are sucked from the breather pipe 14 and conducted to the nozzle 32 by tubes 18 and 29 for enriching the carburetor mixture.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed 1. Fuel economy apparatus for internal combustion engines comprising means disposed between an engine carburetor and intake manifold and responsive to engine 7 vacuum for supplying and inter-mixing crankcase gases with the carburetor fuel-air mixture, said intermixing means being disposed generally at the center of the opengases with the carburetor fhchair mixture, and means for deflecting said stream outwardly of the center of the manifold opening, valve means responsive to the vacuum 4. Fuel economy attachment for internal combustion engines comprising apla'te mountable between'the engine carburetor and intake manifold and including an opening registrable with the openings of the carburetor and manifold, a nozzle disposed at the center of the opening in said plate including a cylindrical portion providing a chamber for mixing gases witlg the fuel-air mixture suped by said arbure or, said 9 1 9 n uding, a conical drawn by said engine for controllingthe supply of gases 1 to said, nozzle, and conduit means. for d c ing gases from the engine crankcase to said valve control means.

3. Fuel economy attachment for internal combustion engines comprising a plate. member mountable between the engine carburetor andintake manifold, said plate member including an opening registrable with the, manifold and carburetor openings, a nozzle carried by said plate member and. disposed in the center of the path of the air-fuel mixture. supplied by said carburetor, conduit means for connecting said nozzle with the breather pipe of said engine for conducting vapors from the engine crankcase to said nozzle, and a vacuum operated valve member for controlling the supply of said vapors to said nozzle in response to-the, speed of said engine.

portion flared outwardly and downwardly from the lower end of said cylindrical portion for deflecting the air-fuel mixture outwardly ofthe, center of said nozzle, said conical portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced orifices, conduit means connecting said nozzle to the breather pipe of the engine crankcase, and a vacuum operated valve in said conduit means for controlling the supply of crankcase vapors to said nozzle in response to engine vacuum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

